Hong Kong

Hong Kong has taken the lead in the two-city race to build the world’s highest bar in Asia.

Ozone, at the Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong (118/F, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon; 852-2263-2263), which opened in March, tops the list at 118 floors, beating out Shanghai Grand Hyatt’s Cloud 9 (87 floors) and the Shanghai Park Hyatt’s 100 Century Avenue (92 floors). (The highest bar in the world is at.mosphere, on the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Highest, in this scenario, means from street level, not sea level.)

There is an issue with all three, though: they are located in smoggy cities, and so far up that they are often within or above the cloud cover, often making views spotty. During a recent visit, Ozone’s open-air deck was thick with fog, and the view out its windows — which might be spectacular on a rare clear day — was obscured by a milky-opaque mist. Ironically, lower- and mid-level floors at both the Ritz and the adjacent W Hotel offer great views of the harbor and skyline.

Ozone does have stunning interiors, though, and an impressive drinks list, with prices to match. You could easily make a dinner out of its bar snack selection. There is raw seafood like oysters, sushi and sashimi, as well as small-plate items like lamb kebabs, tandoori chicken, cucumber-pomelo salad, duck spring rolls and vegetarian gyoza, or pan-fried Japanese dumplings.

Ozone has the potential to be pretentious, but it is surprisingly comfortable. It isn’t too loud, too dark, too crowded or too snooty. You can show up in a decent T-shirt and jeans without getting a raised eyebrow from the staff.

A generous dinner and drinks for three — including a bottle of wine and a few cocktails — comes to about 1,800 Hong Kong dollars, or about $230. There are no reservations, but it’s not hard to snag a table if you arrive early.

11:04 a.m. | Updated A previous version of this post incorrectly stated that Ozone is the highest bar in the world. It is, in fact, the highest bar in Asia, but has been surpassed by at.mosphere, at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The post has been corrected.

2:34 p.m. | Updated A previous version of this post was unclear on the definition of “highest” in the context of “highest bar.” The intent was highest from street level, not sea level.